ABSTRACT
This study examined the antioxidative activity, and cytotoxic effect in breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) of medicinal mushrooms extracts; Lentinus polychrous Lev. and Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) Karst. Antioxidative activity and cytotoxic effect were determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH) assay and the Neutral red assay, respectively. Results show that G. lucidum extracts from mycelia have antioxidative activity with the DPPH scavenging capacity in the range 1.34\±0.12 and 13.77\±0.98 \µmol/g and the total phenolic compounds in the range 9.91\±2.32 to 119.70\±1.74 mg/100g. L. polychrous Lev. extracts from mycelia had antioxidative activity with the DPPH scavenging capacity in the range 1.33\±1.58 to 11.84\±1.77 \µmol/g and the total phenolic compounds was approximately 10.42\±0.69 to 116.57\±5.27 mg/100g. This study shows that an extract from edible L. polychrous Lev. mushroom extracts exhibited similar antioxidative activity and the total phenolic compounds to the G. lucidum extracts. Moreover, the extract from G. lucidum caused a 50% decrease in breast cancer cell viability with concentration (IC₅₀) of 415.6 \µg/mL. The extract from L. polychrous Lev. mycelia demonstrated IC₅₀ values greater than 500 \µg/mL. It was found that the L. polychrous Lev. Mycelia extract; an edible mushroom in Thailand, possessed radical scavenging activity and the total phenolic content were not different from the G. lucidum extract. Future work on the separation of bioactive compounds contributing to the antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of the L. polychrous Lev. Mycelia extract should be performed in comparison to the G. lucidum extract.